Julie Chu

Julie Chu is recognized as the first Asian American woman to compete for the U.S. Olympic ice hockey team. Chu competed in the Winter Olympics, medaling with the team each year and earning three silver medals and one bronze. She was also the first Asian American to win an Olympic Winter medal in a sport other than figure skating. Chu is tied as the second most-decorated American female athlete in Olympic Winter Games history.

Chu's collegiate career at Harvard University included becoming the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history, serving as team captain, and accumulating 284 points—the most in NCAA history. She was named All-American three times, earning a First Team selection in her senior year, and won the Patty Kazmaier Award for best female collegiate hockey player in the United States. Her performance at the collegiate level contributed to an international career that spanned more than a decade.

On the international stage, Chu won four Olympic medals and five world championships. She was the leading scorer at the IIHF World Women's Championships tournament with 10 points. Chu was selected by Team USA members to be the flag bearer at the Closing Ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. The Women's Hockey Commissioners Association named the annual national Rookie of the Year Award after Chu, underscoring her impact on women's ice hockey.

After her playing career, Chu transitioned into coaching. She served as an assistant coach for the University of Minnesota Duluth and contributed to the Bulldogs women's ice hockey team winning an NCAA Division I national championship. Chu later joined the Union College women's hockey coaching staff as assistant coach before focusing full-time on the Winter Olympics in Sochi. She became an assistant coach with the Concordia Stingers women's ice hockey team and later advanced to head coach of the Stingers.

Chu is also known for her advocacy for diversity, inclusion, and representation in sports. As a keynote speaker, she addresses topics including diversity and inclusion, Asian and Pacific heritage, and sports coaching. Her career reflects a commitment to breaking barriers in ice hockey and supporting the next generation of athletes.